We were planning on getting up this morning and driving the two hours to the orphanage where Amanda’s dad grew up, as they have a reunion every year and we knew Phil would love the chance to show Milly off. (Amanda and I know we’re nothing more than transportation for our little girl in the eyes of our parents at stage of ours lives.)
That didn’t happen though.
A few times last night, Milly woke up and wanted me to lie on the floor on a pillow with her. The first time I just did it for a few minutes. The next time it was much later and I actually considered just falling asleep there like that, but I just couldn’t fall asleep.
On top of that, Amanda started feeling a little sick and kept having to get up. I think I woke up every time she did, but I don’t think I was sleeping very well anyway.
Because of those factors, and the fact that we’d just be getting to the children’s home around Milly’s cranky time and wouldn’t have any place to put her should she be rotten, we decided not to go.
Amanda usually gets up with Milly on the weekends, but our girls was knocking on her door a little earlier than usual today and I knew Amanda was up a bunch last night, so I got up and took her downstairs where we ate breakfast and watched Cars. I did try to read to her instead, but she wasn’t at all interested.
A while later, Bonnie, our neighbor across the street, brought a surprise over for Milly. She’d called us yesterday to ask what size shoe Milly wears and what her favorite color is. It turned out that she was at the outlet mall in Myrtle Beach and picked Milly up some Crocs.
We had just put Milly down for a nap, but she apparently wasn’t ready for that yet because she was soon knocking on her door. I went up to get her, but she had locked herself in her room. I fiddled with the lockpick we had stashed away when we installed the newer door upstairs, but I couldn’t quite get it, which is odd because I’m usually very good with it. Amanda was able to get it though, and Milly really liked her bright new yellow Crocs.
I spent a good bit of the day working on a new client’s website, and after Milly got up from her real nap we were going to take her out, so I jumped in the shower. While I was in there I heard Milly making an awful fuss. I figured she was either hurt or she was in trouble, and if it had been the latter Amanda would have let me know. It was, as I suspected, the latter. She’d thrown a lid after being told not to and wouldn’t go pick it up, so she was banished to the corner.
When I got downstairs Milly was still upset and we were trying to get her ready to go get in the car. Amanda gave her a cup of Cheerios to take with her and she promptly dumped them all out. I asked her to help me and told her she’d go in the corner if she didn’t help me by the time I counted to three when she refused. She stayed obstinate, so she went back in the corner with much caterwauling. She did help me when we let her out though.
Milly was better the rest of the day. We went to look for little pins to put on her Crocs, which Amanda thought we could use to reward her in some potty training, but we didn’t find any. After that we went to the 4:00 service at Port City Community Church. Milly was smiling when we pulled up and said, “Play with friends.” When we’re heading to church we always ask if she’s ready to go play with friends, which is mostly all she does in Grow Zone.
The Kays were there this evening and sat with us. No Swedish people at the evening service this time, although I did see a guy taking pictures and video of some of the worship songs. I don’t recall ever seeing that at a morning service, but we’re 2-2 in seeing that in recent evening services.
Milly always likes to go into the main auditorium after services to see the lights by the stage and dance to the music. Apparently Nola Piner does the exact same thing, and the two girls, only about a month apart in age, were both dancing together by the steps. I should have taken some video.
Amanda’s mom decided to come down tonight so she could watch Milly for me tomorrow (or, more likely, just because she wanted to spend some time with Milly). Milly was excited to see her.
Zach Dotsey